Bircher muesli

I see Bircher muesli -or overnight oats- as the fresh summer alternative to a warming winter bowl of porridge... Although I realise summer is pretty much over and it'll soon be time for porridge to become my morning staple again! (Which I'm quite happy about, I do love porridge and I've secretly had a couple of bowls over the summer despite the hot weather!)

Making your own muesli is really simple and easy. One of the best things about it is knowing exactly what has gone into it- no added sugars, artificial sweeteners or glucose syrups. Plus it tastes much more flavoursome than anything bought from the supermarket!

You can add whatever you like to flavour it: dried fruit, nuts, raisins, seeds...anything goes. My recipe is below; I like to to top it with another spoonful of yoghurt, fresh strawberries and frozen berries. But you can experiment with all kinds of toppings!

Recipe

3 cups Rolled oats

1 cup Mixed seeds - I used pumpkin and sunflower seeds

1 cup Crushed mixed nuts - cashews, Brazil nuts, peanuts, almonds

1/2 cup Dried apricots and cranberries

1/2 cup raisins

400g natural yoghurt

Method

1. Toast the oats for 8-10 mins at 180 degrees in the oven.

2. Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix well.

3. Leave to soak overnight in the fridge. The oats expand and take in a lot of the moisture, so you may need to add more yoghurt in the morning, depending on how mushy (for want of a better word) you like it.

4. Top with whatever fresh fruit or flavourings you like :)

Tip: if you're using quick oats, you only need to leave the mixture to soak for 30-60 minutes.